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Beer Thursday: Racer 5 and AleSmith Tasting

It’s the first weekend of February and this week’s Sip Happens is a beer edition. Sometimes you need to change it up with a little beer. I bought two bombers this week, one from So Cal and the other from Nor Cal.

First up is an American style Indian Pale Ale from Healdsburg, brewed by Bear Republic brewing company with a 7.5% ABV. Smooth and hoppy tasting with a balanced carbonation and finishes perfectly malty. Great entry level IPA, yet has quite a bold finish. Roughly around $7-10 a six pack and $5 for a 22-oz bottle, and well worth it. I give it a 4.5 out of 5 stars, only because it is smoother and a bit less hoppy then other IPA’s out there.

Pairing: Blu cheese burger, sweet potato fries and a peanut slawSecond up is also an American style Indian Pale Ale from San Diego, brewed by AleSmith brewing company with a 7.25% ABV. Starts out with a bold citrus flavor almost like a wheat beer, but finishes with a perfect hoppy taste. Lighter in color and in taste from the Racer 5. If you really want to venture out of the comfort zone of a typical wheat or red style ale, here is a perfect beer to add to your list. Its pretty smooth for an IPA and very drinkable with just about anything! I’d give this a 3.9 out of 5 stars just because my taste buds have developed to enjoy a bit more hoppiness with my IPA’s. Roughly $4.99 for a 22-oz bottle.

Pairing: Bratwurst and sauerkraut on a French roll, garlic mashed potatoes and an arugula salad

Side Note: This past Holiday season I got my boyfriend and roommate each a personalized beer flight wooden paddle with glasses and let’s just say we’ve done quite a bit of beer tasting so far!

Check back every Thursday for the latest weekend drink recommendation. Let me know if you like my selections, or have any suggestions for the next weeks tasting. Love to hear what you like to drink. Send us an email at theoffice@confessiongirl.com or leave a comment below.

Karen is one of the founders at Confession Girl, loves drinking wine, craft beer, reading and running. Studied nutrition and sport injury at University of Santa Barbara, but decided to follow a passion in creative. Follow me on Twitter @confessiongirl2